MIKE DODDS claims Yann M’Vila’s lack of involvement with West Brom justifies Sunderland’s decision to pass up the opportunity to re-sign the midfielder in January.
At the beginning of the season, the Black Cats received an offer to sign M’Vila, a former midfield player who had left Olympiacos as a free agent the previous summer.
Ultimately, in mid-February, West Brom made a bid for the 33-year-old, offering him a short-term deal that would last until the end of the season. Carlos Corberan, the manager of the Baggies, had previously worked with the player in Greece.
M’Vila, who needed time to regain match fitness, made his West Brom debut on Wednesday in the team’s 2-0 victory over Rotherham. Although he may play in tomorrow’s encounter at the Hawthorns against Sunderland, his lack of action over the past two months may have contributed to his former employers’ reluctance to extend an offer to him at the beginning of the season.
“I would say about Yann M’Vila that (Wednesday night) was his first game for West Brom, but the midfield is probably an area that needs attention going forward,” Dodds stated.
“I don’t know the situation for West Brom or him, but under the same conditions, we would have only been seeing him with four games remaining if we had signed him in January.
“That’s the message I would make to folks in that situation. Since this is only his first start, it’s unlikely that he would have assisted us. I do believe that a few positions, though, might need additional nuance. Midfield is, in my opinion, one of those positions.
M’Vila and Josh Maja, two well-known former Sunderland players, are currently signed with West Brom; Maja transferred to the Hawthorns last summer.
Maja, who controversially moved from Wearside to Bordeaux in January 2019, has had a difficult season due to injuries, making only one Championship start.
Dodds does not anticipate seeing Maja or M’Vila in the starting lineup for tomorrow’s match, even though he came off the bench for the final seven minutes of the midweek victory over Rotherham.
“To be honest, I’ll be surprised if they both start,” he remarked, but he still believed they will both be part. Josh hasn’t played against us since he suffered an injury in mid-December, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned in a week. Meanwhile, Yann M’Vila was starting his first game of the season the other night.
“My instinct tells me they won’t be shown right away, but they might be featured eventually. Teams must make use of their entire roster in the Championship, one of the most competitive leagues worldwide.
“Carlos will definitely do that. I would have assumed that he would make some changes based on the substitutions he used and the order in which the players entered the game (against Rotherham), but I would be shocked if both of them started.
See more updates on https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply